Category: Identifying and Countering Deception

Adopting a Biblical Cosmology

In my previous article, I showed why it is hazardous for us to try to blend irreconcilable ideas in a vain attempt to harmonize the Bible with godless philosophies and systems of thought.

We can avoid syncretism by allowing God’s Word to shape our thinking in every area, including our cosmology, the science of the origin and development of the heavens and earth.

Doing so will cause us to reexamine commonly held beliefs in both the natural and spiritual domains to see how faithfully they align with biblical revelation and truth. Not surprisingly, this process will likely challenge whether we trust and revere God’s Word more than what is called “science”.

During the Covid crisis, a mantra was echoed – “trust the science,” which, by the way, is very unscientific. Science is a process that requires and encourages questioning. Notwithstanding, those of us who questioned “the science” during Covid, including the efficacy of lockdowns, masks, social distancing, and an unproven mRNA jab, were ridiculed, censored, ostracized, and sometimes persecuted, as in the case of those who were fired for refusing to trust the science. We were expected to bow to the “high priests” of a new religion called scientism, instead of doing our own research and forming our own conclusions. Blindly trusting “science” is more of a religion than scientific, as revealed by how our leaders handled opposition. During Covid, many of us awakened to the fact that Satan, the great deceiver, is hard at work promulgating falsehoods designed to steal, kill, destroy, and to hold humanity captive, hindering our quest to know God and truth.

For lovers of truth, anything that contradicts the Bible must be rejected.

This will test our loyalty to God and our conviction regarding the truth of the Bible. It might require us to be willing to look foolish to “more enlightened” people who esteem the tenets of faith promoted by what is called science higher than any other source of truth.

God wants to convince us that he never lies. He may not immediately reveal everything we want to know, but he will not fudge the truth to accommodate our ignorance either.

For example, today many scientifically minded people no longer believe that evil spirits or demons exist or are behind some common sicknesses and diseases. People with this view think that God simply accommodated our ignorance of medicine in times past and told us that demons caused such things as epilepsy, instead of telling us the truth, which would have made no sense at that time.

Consider, however, that if we are willing to believe that Jesus either did not know what he was talking about or that he gave us false information, we are claiming that God sometimes gives us bad information that must later be corrected by our own discoveries.

This sounds like Eve’s quest in the garden to me. “Did God really say?”.

However, the Bible is clear on this matter.

God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through? Numbers 23:19 (NLT)

God never lies, but Satan and humans do all the time.

Our government has always lied to some extent, but has taken things to an entirely new level in the last several decades. A former CIA director, William Casey, once told President Reagan: “We’ll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false.” This quote was given by Barbara Honegger, who was in the room.

With the advent of computers, video, and artificial intelligence, it is becoming increasingly difficult to navigate between truth and falsehood. This is part of Satan’s plan to demoralize us to the point we give up our quest for truth.

Satan has been quite successful at pulling the wool over our eyes in many areas for a long, long time. As is usual with all tyrants, however, he went too far, which has awakened more and more people to what he has been doing. During the Covid crisis, it became apparent that a supranational agency or group was manipulating things. All over the world the same sort of policies were adopted that stripped citizens of their freedoms in the name of public safety.

It also became apparent that the truth was the biggest casualty during that crisis as governments censored anyone who did not go along with the party line. This happened even in the USA, where freedom of speech is enshrined in the Bill of Rights. Mattias Desmet coined the phrase “mass formation psychosis” to describe the wholesale brainwashing that took place around the world. Those of us who spoke against unscientific and totalitarian practices were ridiculed, censored, and sometimes ostracized, but, as Desmet points out, the only thing that can prevent such a brainwashed society from descending into totalitarianism is for the unyielding minority to continue to speak up.

The reason that so many people could not accept that the “jab” might be dangerous was because trusted individuals and institutions said it was safe. Surely there could never be a conspiracy so encompassing that it would include our government, Big Medicine, Big Pharma, Big Media, Big Tech, our education establishment, and supranational organizations such as WHO and the European Union! But that is exactly what happened. In this case, however, the devil pushed too far, causing many people to awaken to the level of evil and deception at work in the world.

Jesus told us that Satan is the father of lies (John 8:44) who deceives the whole world (Revelation 12:9). We should not regard this as hyperbole. It is literally true.

We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one. 1 John 5:19 (NKJV)

Satanic deception is not limited to religious or moral matters. It extends to every area of life. His goal is to subvert God’s truth regarding creation, the nature of reality, life itself, and God.

Most of us naively think that we are above being brainwashed. Knowing how easily we fall for ideas that appeal to our pride, the devil introduces philosophies and systems of thought that make us think we are smarter than anyone else and do not need to lean on that “crutch” called God or believe in “archaic ideas” contained in the Bible. At the same time, our archenemy tells us that we are insignificant, meaningless, and harmful beings that evolved by chance and need to be removed from the planet or at least significantly reduced in number. Consider the first goal written on the now destroyed Georgia Guidestones: maintain humanity under 500 million in perpetual balance with nature. Who wrote that? Who is trying to accomplish this 94% reduction in the world’s population? Whoever it is, they are in league with Satan.

It’s ironic that in our pride we believe the satanic lie that we are smarter than God but totally insignificant.

Adopting a Biblical Cosmology

What does the Bible teach us about the world in which we live? When I took a course in astronomy in college, I was a new Christian. I remember being struck by how the textbook and teacher promulgated mere theories as fact. Our educational system, media, and government does this regularly, knowing that if a lie is repeated often people begin to accept it as true.

From earliest times, men and women have observed the sun, moon, and stars and tried to comprehend or explain their movements. Due to the cosmos being outside our reach, everything was theoretical and philosophical. Philosophy always carries a bias, such the modernist presupposition that any explanation that requires a Creator must be rejected. Fortunately for us, the Bible gives us some us some extremely valuable information, which we should not dismiss as archaic or primitive. Perhaps ancient man, being closer to Adam, had greater insight that we do.

 

If we believe that God’s words are always true and faithful, then we will take them at face value, unless it is clear from the context that we should not.

Look to God’s instructions and teachings! People who contradict his word are completely in the dark. Isaiah 8:20 (NLT)

Genesis and other scriptures tell us several important truths upon which we can and should base our cosmology. It is not surprising that godless “science” tries to negate these words by offering us a contradictory explanation of the nature of heaven and earth how they came into being.

Day 1
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. 3 Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day. Genesis 1:1–5 (NASB95)

God created the “heavens” (plural) and the earth out of nothing (Hebrews 11:3) simply by speaking it into existence. Our cosmos did not spontaneously explode into existence, as Big Bang adherents insist. Explosions produce chaos and destruction and are never creative. We learn from John that everything we can observe was brought into existence and is sustained by God’s living Word, our Lord Jesus Christ. (John 1:3)

The “earth” (Hebrew “erets”) was formless and void but consisted of waters and “the deep” over which “face” the Spirit of God hovered or moved. At this point all was darkness. God then created light. It is important that we understand and believe that this light existed without sun, moon, or stars to emit it. Interestingly, Revelation states that in the new creation that will come at the very end of time, there will be no need for a sun because God himself is its light. (Revelation 21:23) Jesus also said that he is the Light of the world. (John 9:5)

The Bible’s declaration that light existed before there being any known source is a “scientific” hurdle we must clear if we are going to honor God’s Word above all contenders.

God excludes certain information or explanations from us in order to see if we will  stick to our guns by trusting him even when we do not understand the “how”. We do not want to be like those followers of our Lord who turned away because he said some things they did not comprehend . (John 6:66) God declared that the light was good and separated it from the darkness. He called the light day and the darkness night. Then the Bible declares that this separation resulted in the first day. As yet there is no sun and no solar day. Are you still there?

Day 2
Then God said, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.” 7 Thus God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament; and it was so. 8 And God called the firmament Heaven. So the evening and the morning were the second day. Genesis 1:6–8 (NKJV)

The second day of creation challenges our scientific world view again. The English word “firmament” is only used in the KJV and NKJV. The other translations opt for such words as expanse, space, or sky, which is unfortunate. The Hebrew word is raqia, which means something hard such as beaten out metal. The Bible says it is strong enough to support the waters above it and forms a vault over the earth. Here are a couple other verses that use the word raqia.

And above the firmament over their heads was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like a sapphire stone; on the likeness of the throne was a likeness with the appearance of a man high above it. 27 Also from the appearance of His waist and upward I saw, as it were, the color of amber with the appearance of fire all around within it; and from the appearance of His waist and downward I saw, as it were, the appearance of fire with brightness all around. Ezekiel 1:26–27 (NKJV) 

“Can you, with Him, spread (literally - beat out as with a hammer) out the skies, Strong as a molten mirror? Job 37:18 (NASB95)

The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. Psalm 19:1 (NKJV)

God placed waters above the firmament, which are still there, according to the psalmist.

Praise Him, you heavens of heavens, And you waters above the heavens! Psalm 148:4 (NKJV)

God called the firmament heaven, which is another Hebrew word, shamayim. We know from Paul that there are (at least) three heavens. (2 Corinthians 12:2) We also know that when Jesus ascended after his resurrection he rose through the heavens. (Ephesians 4:10 and Hebrews 4:14)

Day 3
Then God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear”; and it was so. 10 And God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering together of the waters He called Seas. And God saw that it was good. 11 Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth”; and it was so. 12 And the earth brought forth grass, the herb that yields seed according to its kind, and the tree that yields fruit, whose seed is in itself according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 13 So the evening and the morning were the third day. Genesis 1:9–13 (NKJV)

On Day 3, God separated the waters under the firmament from the land and brought forth plants. This confronts evolutionary theory that all life began in the primordial soup of the oceans. We must decide which will we believe, “science” or God?

Day 4
Then God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years; 15 and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth”; and it was so. 16 Then God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also. 17 God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth, 18 and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 So the evening and the morning were the fourth day. Genesis 1:14–19 (NKJV)

On the fourth day, God place “lights” or luminaries in the firmament of the heavens. Here once again God’s Word collides with the Big Bang theory head on. The Bible says the Creator placed luminaries in his vaulted heavens, which include the stars, the sun, the moon, and the wandering luminaries science calls planets after he made the earth. If our scientific cosmology has not been challenged before now, this certainly brings us to a crisis of faith. Will we believe what God says or write it off to God’s speaking within the context of an archaic and primitive worldview? If we choose the latter, we have now begun to slide down the slippery slope of deciding what parts of the Bible can be trusted and which need to be revised to accommodate the “insights” of modern so-called “knowledge.”

The Bible presents a geocentric cosmos, in which man is the center of God’s plan and purpose.

When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained, 4 What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him? 5 For You have made him a little lower than the angels, And You have crowned him with glory and honor. 6 You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, Psalm 8:3–6 (NKJV)

The Big Bang theory and its adjunct, heliocentrism, informs us that the earth is an inconsequential speck in a chaotic, exploding, godless, and impersonal universe. It teaches us that earth and mankind have no special significance or purpose. Once again, we are faced with an important decision. Who will we believe? To me, it is clear that one voice comes from God, and the others sounds very much like someone who hates us.

In the Bible’s geocentric view of the earth, the sun and moon are “luminaries” that God placed in the firmament and run a “circuit” over the earth.

Their line has gone out through all the earth, And their words to the end of the world. In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun, 5 Which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, And rejoices like a strong man to run its race. 6 Its rising is from one end of heaven, And its circuit to the other end; And there is nothing hidden from its heat. Psalm 19:4–6 (NKJV)

Was God here merely conforming his words to a primitive understanding of the cosmos before people “discovered” the heliocentric view? Did God think that earlier people were so ignorant and stupid that he had to fudge the truth? Did he communicate something that we later would find out was not true, thus causing us to wonder if other things in the Bible are false as well? Did God really say?

When our children were very small, Martha and I had to decide if we would go along with the fantasy of Santa Claus and lie to our children about that. We decided that we never wanted to give them a cause for doubting our words or God’s; so we told them the truth. We did not take a “hard line” approach, but we did tell them the truth, without trying to strip all the fun out of the annual holiday gift giving. Being mere humans, we are not very righteous or truthful compared to God.

If we did not not want to give our children cause for doubting the truthfulness about God by telling them a lie about Santa Claus, shouldn’t we think that the God of truth would never do such a thing by lying to us about how the word was created?

Day 5
Then God said, “Let the waters abound with an abundance of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the face of the firmament of the heavens.” 21 So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters abounded, according to their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” 23 So the evening and the morning were the fifth day. Genesis 1:20–23 (NKJV)

On the fifth day, God created sea creatures and birds and gave the command to be fruitful and multiply. This order of things is anti-evolution, which says that life evolved out of the sea. If we believe God’s Word is true and unalterable, we quickly recognize the lie behind evolutionary thinking.

Day 6
Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth, each according to its kind”; and it was so. 25 And God made the beast of the earth according to its kind, cattle according to its kind, and everything that creeps on the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” 29 And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food. 30 Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food”; and it was so. 31 Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day. Genesis 1:24–31 (NKJV)

On the last day of creation, God made land-based animals and man. Man was created in God’s image and is most important to God, not a being that evolved by chance. The command to multiply runs contrary to globalist thinking that there are too many people. God wants us to fill this magnificent earth.

The desire to curtail multiplication through abortion and other means comes from Satan himself.

If we take God’s Word at face value, even when it confronts the “established truths” of modern science, we are well on our way to liberating our minds and hearts from the schemes and lies of the devil. I hope you will take this process seriously and allow yourself to insist on adhering to God’s Word.  As the apostle Paul wrote long ago.

...let God be found true, though every man be found a liar, as it is written, “THAT YOU MAY BE JUSTIFIED IN YOUR WORDS, AND PREVAIL WHEN YOU ARE JUDGED.” Romans 3:4 (NASB95)
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The Mechanics of Deception

In my previous article, I concluded that God has given us two antidotes for the poison of deception: a map (the Bible) and a guide (the Holy Spirit). Satan uses his cleverness to pry us away from reliance upon those two gifts from God. Paul recognized this satanic strategy at work in Corinth.

But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. 2 Corinthians 11:3 (NASB95)

The devil uses philosophies and doctrines that appeal to our vanity and desire to figure things out for ourselves instead of relying upon God.

Again, Paul warned about this.

See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. Colossians 2:8 (NASB95)

Any system of thought that denies the truthfulness of the Bible is not from God.

The first thing Satan did to bring about the fall of mankind was to sow doubt into Eve’s mind regarding the truthfulness or God’s words.

Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” 2 The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; 3 but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’ ” 4 The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! 5 “For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3:1–5 (NASB95)

In hindsight, it is easy for us to see how Satan manipulated Eve, but, when it happens to us, it can be very confusing. The serpent began by asking an seemingly innocent question that subtly accused God. This put Eve on the defensive. Her recounting of God’s prohibition was incorrect in that she added touching the fruit in addition to eating it as a cause of death. At this point Satan flatly contradicted God’s words and accused God of being untrustworthy in the process. Eve, for some reason, bought the lie instead of defending God. Adam was present and remained quiet, which makes him responsible, too. Once Adam and Eve accepted Satan’s accusation against God, it was not much of a leap to reject God’s warning and evaluate the fruit using their own reasoning, which led them to take a bite. The rest is history. That one act of treachery cost our Lord Jesus his life.

Satan will always cast doubt on the veracity of God’s Word. He encourages us to evaluate things according to our own judgment instead of relying on God’s. He introduces arguments that appeal to our pride and sound convincing, but always lead to death.

It is amazing to me that many people easily put their faith in the Big Bang theory rather than in the Bible’s account of creation. No one was there when everything we see came into being; so, whatever position one takes regarding origins is either a matter of faith or mere conjecture. If a person wants to believe that everything we see came out of nothing all by itself, that takes more faith than believing in a Creator God. Nevertheless, spontaneous creation appeals to our pride and gives us permission to do whatever we like, since we have no one to whom we are accountable. This sin is very much like that of our first parents, the desire to be our own gods.

Similarly, many accept the unproven hypothesis of Darwinian evolution rather than the creation account of human origins. Once again, neither can be scientifically duplicated and “proven,” so, whichever one a person chooses to believe is a matter of faith – faith in God or in mere conjecture. The appeal of such a vain philosophy is apparent. It places us on the top rung of creatures who are accountable to no one. We are gods of a sort, the best “nature” has come up with so far.

This kind of thinking produces unwelcome consequences. Evolution leads to thinking that some “races” are superior or “more evolved,” leading to racism and genocide. Evolution produces the existentialist conclusion that there is no absolute truth. All we can know for sure is what we experience. That being the case, what really matters in life is pleasure, power, and being “fulfilled.”

When God’s truth is rejected, it leaves us without an anchor, drifting on seas of uncertainty and confusion.

That is where our nation is today.

Can you think of other areas in which we have allowed the wisdom and so-called knowledge or “science” propagated in the world to make us despise and forsake God’s Word?

Once we understand the mechanics of deception, it should make us even more determined to live within the framework God has given to us, using the map of the Bible and the guide – the Holy Spirit. We can decide to never again accept any philosophy or doctrine that denies what the Bible teaches. If we do this, it can lead us to some very important and exciting truths that can revolutionize our thinking and lives.

So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” John 8:31–32 (NASB95)
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The Entrance and Extent of Deception

Deception is all around us, and we must ask ourselves where did it come from, what is its nature, how extensive is it, and how can we escape its influence? No person is adequate to completely answer these questions, but, using the Bible as our map and depending on the Holy Spirit to guide us, we can make progress. Otherwise, we will all be like Pontius Pilate, who heard Jesus say:

...I was born and came into the world to testify to the truth. All who love the truth recognize that what I say is true.” John 18:37 (NLT)

When the Roman governor stood face to face with the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, he could only reply, “What is truth?” (John 18:38) This is the question facing all of us.

Since the God of truth created the world and said it was “good,” how did deception and evil make their entrance? The Bible tells us that it happened when the serpent deceived Eve into choosing knowledge, falsely so called, over God’s truth.

The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! 5 “For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings. Genesis 3:4–7 (NASB95)

The truth was that disobeying God’s command would bring death. Satan convinced Eve that he knew better, which she acted upon. In violating God’s clear command, she and Adam chose so-called knowledge over God’s revealed truth. This continues to this day in many different ways, about which Paul warned us.

O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, avoiding worldly and empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called “knowledge”— 21 which some have professed and thus gone astray from the faith. Grace be with you. 1 Timothy 6:20–21 (NASB95)

Once Adam and Eve poked a hole in the wall of truth that guarded their lives, it opened a flood of deception upon the earth. All of us to some degree or another have become co-conspirators in a giant assault on the truth.

Paul wrote about this in his letter to the church in Rome.

But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. 19 They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. Romans 1:18–19 (NLT)

The so-called Covid pandemic helped to open our eyes to the extent of the suppression of truth. It was incomprehensible to most people that our government, mainstream media, Big Tech, Big Medicine, and Big Pharma would join forces to suppress truth and push a lie, but that is exactly what happened and continues today. A thinking person must ask him or herself, just how far does this deception go? What other lies have we been told? Whom can be trusted?

The devil is “hell bent” on deceiving and destroying humanity in order to somehow “hurt” God. This is what Jesus said about him.

...He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 So when I tell the truth, you just naturally don’t believe me! John 8:44–45 (NLT)

Because our hearts have been corrupted by sin, we have a natural affinity for lies, which should put us on guard against the entrance of deception, even for those of us who have come to love the truth.

The devil…

...will use every kind of evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction, because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them. 11 So God will cause them to be greatly deceived, and they will believe these lies. 2 Thessalonians 2:10–11 (NLT)

As a result of centuries of Satan’s work and the cooperation of those who gladly serve the serpent, much of what most people believe is based on deception.

 

We cannot fully trust what the government, the education system, the mainstream media (MSM), Big Tech, Big Pharma, and Big Medicine tell us. If anyone dares go against the accepted “narrative,” he or she will meet with mockery, rejection, and sometimes other forms of persecution, such as de-funding or maybe even jail time. Worse push back probably lies ahead unless things change significantly.

Is there any way for us to escape pervasive lies and propaganda and learn to discern and stand for what is true? As I mentioned in my opening paragraph, God has given us a map, the Bible, and a guide, the Holy Spirit.

The Bible self-authenticates, since there is no higher authority. Jesus, the One who called himself the Way, the Truth, and the Life, was vindicated or authenticated by God the Father when he raised him from the dead. Jesus, who is truth personified, told us that the Word of God is truth.

Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. John 17:17 (NASB95)

God wants us to settle in our hearts that his Word is faithful and true. Only by so doing, can we reverse the suppression of truth initiated by Adam and Eve.

Your eternal word, O LORD, stands firm in heaven. 90 Your faithfulness extends to every generation, as enduring as the earth you created. Psalm 119:89–90 (NLT)

God gave us the Holy Spirit, who is also called the Spirit of Truth, to guide us into all truth as we are able to hear and bear it.

“But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. John 16:13 (NASB95)

In addition, the truth by its very nature, is irrepressible. It will triumph in the end. Those who are open will be able to discern the truth.

Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” John 18:37 (NKJV)

Those who close their hearts to truth will miss out and demonstrate that they are not “of God.”

Anyone who belongs to God listens gladly to the words of God. But you don’t listen because you don’t belong to God.” John 8:47 (NLT)

We can trust the Lord to guide us into truth one step at a time. The important thing is to keep moving toward it. People will resist, mock, and try to intimidate you, but it is worth the cost to discover truth. It will set us free. (John 8:32)

Prayer

Jesus, I long to be a person of truth. I want to know truth, believe it, live by it, and stand for it. I recognize that your are the Way, the Truth, and the Life. I ask you to come into my life and open my eyes and heart to your truth. I give my life to you. Use me as you see fit. Amen.

Link to next article in the series.
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Don’t pin your hopes on the rapture.

Many think we may be on the brink of a long awaited event, the Second Coming of Christ preceded by a time of great suffering and persecution called the Great Tribulation. The futurist and often Dispensational view of the end times also teaches that sometime before this time of suffering those who believe in Christ will be “raptured.” Even though this is not actually a biblical term, it is means a “catching up” of the Body of Christ which is definitely scriptural.

Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 1 Thessalonians 4:17 (ESV)

The Greek word is harpazo, which means to seize, catch up, or snatch away. The idea is that God’s people will be removed before it gets really bad here on earth, leaving unsaved humanity to endure the atrocities of the Antichrist’s rule. But does this teaching conform to the Bible’s clear instructions on the end times? Might it be a false hope which could leave the church unprepared to endure suffering?

Corrie Ten Boom, a Christian woman who miraculously survived the Nazi death camps after being betrayed by a neighbor for harboring and protecting Jews, toured the world in her old age warning Christians that suffering is part of God’s plan to transform us and prepare us for glory. I quote her below.

 

There are some among us teaching there will be no tribulation that the Christians will be able to escape all this. These are the false teachers that Jesus was warning us to expect in the latter days. Most of them have little knowledge of what is already going on across the world. I have been in countries where the saints are already suffering terrible persecution.

In China, the Christians were told, ” Don’t worry, before the tribulation comes you will be translated- raptured.” Then came a terrible persecution. Millions of Christians were tortured to death. Later, I heard a Bishop from China say, sadly,

“We have failed..
We should have made the people strong for persecution,
rather than telling them Jesus would come first.
Tell the people to be strong in times of persecution,
how to stand when the tribulation comes,
to stand and not faint.” (Women of Christianity)

We do well to seriously consider Corrie’s warning, but what the Bible says is even more important. What, if anything, did Jesus and Paul say about the rapture? Not surprisingly, they said quite a lot about the end times, and some of it directly relates to the rapture theory. I begin by quoting our Lord’s words regarding the very end of things.

Then, leaving the crowds outside, Jesus went into the house. His disciples said, “Please explain to us the story of the weeds in the field.” 37  Jesus replied, “The Son of Man is the farmer who plants the good seed. 38  The field is the world, and the good seed represents the people of the Kingdom. The weeds are the people who belong to the evil one. 39  The enemy who planted the weeds among the wheat is the devil. The harvest is the end of the world, and the harvesters are the angels. 40  “Just as the weeds are sorted out and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the world. 41  The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will remove from his Kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42  And the angels will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43  Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s Kingdom. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand! Matthew 13:36-43 (NLT)

Here Jesus explained that the first group that will will be taken is composed of the wicked, not the righteous. This is the very opposite scenario posited by rapture enthusiasts. In another passage, Jesus reaffirms that this is how things will end.

“When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. 38  In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. 39  People didn’t realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes. 40  “Two men will be working together in the field; one will be taken, the other left. 41  Two women will be grinding flour at the mill; one will be taken, the other left. 42  “So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming. 43  Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would keep watch and not permit his house to be broken into. 44  You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected. Matthew 24:37-44 (NLT)

Once again Jesus words work against having an expectation of the rapture of the church. Instead, those who will be taken or swept away are the wicked, just as during the flood of Noah’s day. Noah’s family was left behind to inherit the earth, not the wicked.

Where did the doctrine of the rapture come from then? John Nelson Darby was probably the first person to fully articulate this relatively modern doctrine sometime between 1832 and 1845. (John Darby: Pretribulation Rapture Theory) It can be argued that such a theory could only find traction in a land and time that was free from intense persecution. I doubt if it could have been developed during the persecutions that attended the early church or the one going on in Communist China right now. Many areas of the world have already experienced or are currently experiencing great tribulation.

By the way, the Greek word translated tribulation is thlipsis, which essentially means “pressure.” Pressure explodes weak containers and refines coal into diamonds. How we will be affected by pressure will depend on what is inside us.

The Bible clearly warns us to expect suffering, which God’s grace will help us endure.

"Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. 10  "At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. 11  "Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. 12  "Because lawlessness is increased, most people's love will grow cold. 13  "But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved. Matthew 24:9-13 (NASB)

Jesus encouraged us to endure suffering for the gospel, not pin our hopes on a “great escape” called the rapture.

When people believe they will be pulled out of the coming troubles, it can demotivate us from actively preaching the gospel and working to expand the kingdom of God. Instead, we may end up “forting up” in our churches, waiting for the rapture.

Removing believers when intense suffering is about to arrive does not conform to God’s shepherd heart. Jesus told us that the Good Shepherd will not flee when he sees the wolf coming. Watchman Nee lived and ministered in China before it fell to communism. He had the opportunity to escape but chose to remain with the people under his care. His church was among those who did not capitulate to the demands of the Communist Party. He endured great suffering as a result of his choice and languished for years in prison, but he was faithful to God and those under his care.

Is it not more in line with Christ’s love that he would raise up his church to be his fearless witness during such a time? Is that not what actually happened during previous persecutions? The church grew exponentially during Roman tribulation and has expanded victoriously during the modern persecution in China. Would we expect Christ to rejoice in a weak and fearful bride hiding in hopes of being rescued or in one who is gloriously confronting the enemies of the gospel? What if the period we hope to escape will end up being the most glorious and victorious era for the church?

I have a growing suspicion that most of our end time theology will be seriously rearranged in the coming days as we approach the Second Coming of Christ.

The prophet Habakkuk promised that the glory of the Lord will fill the earth.

"For the earth will be filled With the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, As the waters cover the sea. Habakkuk 2:14 (NASB)

Could a Spirit-filled victorious church participating in a massive outpouring of the Spirit as prophesied in Joel be part of that process before the Second Coming? Many, including myself, think so.

Jesus taught that his Second Coming will precipitate the resurrection from the dead, the last judgment, and the final state of things. Not only will the wicked be removed and burned with unquenchable fire; all the dead will be raised, judged and assigned to their eternal destinies.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. 26  For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. 27  And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. 28  Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29  and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment. John 5:25-29 (ESV)

Those who have already died as believers will be the first ones caught up to meet the Lord when he comes to judge the world. After that those believers who are still alive physically will join them.

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. 15  For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16  For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17  Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. 18  Therefore comfort one another with these words. 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18 (NASB)

Putting all this together, it appears that the Lord’s Second Coming will be immediately preceded by a removal of the wicked, followed by a resurrection of the dead and a catching up of the righteous to join the descending Lord. This agrees with what Paul wrote about the resurrection in the fifteenth chapter of his First Letter to the Church in Corinth.

Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. 1 Corinthians 15:51–53 (NASB95)

Jesus will come again at the last trumpet, the dead will be raised, and those who are still alive will be instantly transformed by receiving their glorified bodies. This is what is called the rapture.Then a glorious and fearful final reckoning will take place which will be administered by the Divine Son of Man, the risen Lord Jesus.

"But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. 32  "All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; 33  and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left. Matthew 25:31-33 (NASB)

God has not given us all the details of how it will be at the end, only what we need to know. Hardly anyone figured out how Jesus would arrive on planet earth the first time. Why should we expect that we will succeed the second time?

As we await his sure return, let us hold on to our ideas of what will be with an open mind and heart, realizing that we may need to adjust our thinking as we watch events unfold.

In the meantime, let us take seriously the apostle Peter’s words of encouragement.

Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. 9  Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are. 10  In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. 11  All power to him forever! Amen. 1 Peter 5:8-11 (NLT)
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Disunity Can Be a Sign that God Is at Work

 

 

 

 

 

Unity is important in the church, family, nation, or really any group, but disunity often, maybe always, accompanies any important new activity or truth coming from God.

When Jesus presented himself to Israel as their long awaited Messiah, he attracted the malevolent criticism of those who held power and benefited from maintaining the status quo. He polarized the community by forcing people to make a decision to be either for him or against him.

There was a lot of grumbling about him among the crowds. Some argued, “He’s a good man,” but others said, “He’s nothing but a fraud who deceives the people.” John 7:12 (NLT)


So a division occurred in the crowd because of Him. John 7:43 (NASB95)

Those who tried to hold to a “middle ground” to avoid being caught up in the controversy were either uninformed, uncaring, or cowardly.

Whenever God is doing something important, it brings about a crisis of faith in those who witness it.

Those whose hearts are open receive God’s truth with joy. The devil hates God and truth with a passion, and anyone who is still under his influence will offer vehement resistance. The “lukewarm” will not care because they refuse to be players on the grand stage of life. Every great movement is carried out by a relatively small percentage of people who passionately believe. They will be resisted by those who ardently disbelieve, while the uninvolved watch the drama unfold.

The psalmist taught that unity carries a blessing.

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brothers to dwell together in unity! Psalm 133:1 (NASB95)

Jesus taught on its importance, too.

The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; 23 I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me. John 17:22–23 (NASB95)

Our unity as believers is based on what God has done for his church in Christ.

He has taken Jew and Gentile, men and women, slave and free, and rich and poor from all races and nations and fashioned us into “one new man.” (Ephesians 2:15) We who believe are now part of the body of Christ. Our unity in the Spirit is already accomplished. Our challenge is to believe and act in accordance with this great truth.

However, unity in the Spirit does not mean we must refrain from proclaiming truth that some find divisive.

Jesus and truth have always produced contention because not everyone is willing to receive them. The gospel is often passionately rejected by some who later become believers. That was certainly the case with the apostle Paul. Others never see the light and remain opposed for life. The early church was wracked with disunity from the start in the matter of grace versus the Law. The Judaizers insisted that Gentile believers keep the Law of Moses including circumcision, but Paul and company stood their ground insisting the opposite in the face of great hostility. Though the matter was officially settled in the Jerusalem conference, this controversy still exists.

Truth will always be resisted by those who do not understand or receive it.

When God restored the truth regarding believer’s baptism during the Reformation, both Catholics and Protestants violently opposed the Anabaptists who held to this “new” and “divisive” doctrine. Some of those brave men and women died rather than be moved away from this revelation from God. Today almost everyone in the churches with whom I fellowship believe this doctrine. The baptism in the Spirit was restored in the early 20th century, but not without controversy that still exists. When I was first baptized in the Spirit in 1971, the dominant campus ministry where I attended university opposed our little charismatic group’s meeting by ourselves. They wanted us to join them to preserve unity, but at what cost to what God was doing in our midst? We were trying to grow in our experience and use of the gifts of the Spirit, but, if we only met with the larger group, the Spirit would be quenched by those who disbelieved.

Many times a call to unity is an attempt to silence and control the opposition. Unity between opposing factions cannot happen unless liberty of belief and practice is granted.

When my Dad launched his home meeting in the early 1970s, many Catholics attended, including nuns. After a while, the local Catholic Church tried to “rein in” what he was doing by insisting that the meeting had to be accompanied by a Mass. My father refused to comply with this attempt to quench the freedom of the Spirit. Eventually we departed from the Catholic Church in pursuit of freedom to practice the truth of God’s Word.

Where there is no unity regarding truth, there can be no unity in practice or assemblage.

Interestingly, Paul wrote that disunity is sometimes God’s way of revealing those who are approved by God.

For there must also be factions among you, so that those who are approved may become evident among you. 1 Corinthians 11:19 (NASB95)

Martin Luther did not set out to depart from the Catholic Church. His intention was to reform it, but that was not possible because the Catholic leaders wanted none of it. They wanted to quash the “revolt” and kill its leader. This is exactly what our Lord’s enemies tried to do with him, but they failed as did Luther’s opponents.

Satan and unredeemed humanity will always rebel against and try to subvert what God is doing.

Sometimes even God’s people push back because of our natural human propensity to resist change. The old established way of seeing and doing things always seems better. Sadly, any new move of God is usually resisted by those who experienced the previous one. Jesus said it like this.

“But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. 39 “And no one, after drinking old wine wishes for new; for he says, ‘The old is good enough.’ ” Luke 5:38–39 (NASB95)

St. Augustine is credited with saying, “In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity.”

Our Lord does not want us to allow our stand for truth to snuff out our love for those in opposition.

Jesus said to love our enemies, including those who oppose God and truth. However, we are never to back down from our stand for truth because of push back from those who do not understand or receive it. If the truth in question is “non-essential” to salvation, we can agree to disagree, but we cannot abandon our convictions for the sake of a false kind of unity.

Any call to unity that asks us to lay down strongly held convictions is just a veiled form of oppression.

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Artificial Intelligence – The New False God

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

People are inherently religious, despite the protests of atheists. This is because we were created by God to worship and serve him. If we reject the true God, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, we will find something else in which to put our trust. Some people worship themselves and the powers of their own intellect. This is called humanism, but it is really self-worship. All who believe that complex humans and the rest of creation developed by some random evolutionary processes fall into this category. Quite logically, if we evolved, we have no accountability to anyone except ourselves. We may think we are God, but we are not.

Over the centuries people have manufactured idols to represent gods of their own creation or fancy. An example of this is when the Israelites became frustrated with Moses and demanded that Aaron fashion and idol for them.

Then all the people tore off the gold rings which were in their ears and brought them to Aaron. 4 He took this from their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool and made it into a molten calf; and they said, “This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.” Exodus 32:3–4 (NASB95)

They were scared and confused. They did not trust in the true God; so, in their desperation they created their own god to lead them. Falling down before such an idol may seem extraordinarily stupid to us today, but don’t we do much the same thing?

Godless men and women are looking for something or someone to save them. Since we cannot seem to find anyone, we have created our own new god called AI or Artificial Intelligence.

The global elite think that man should bow down to AI and serve what we created with our own minds. AI can only do what we program into it. Even though it can process ‘thoughts” much faster than humans, it can only “think” within the parameters we give it. However, our elites think that our future is to be run by this new “god.” Klaus Schwab recently said that he had a “conversation” with ChapGPT about the future.

“I had about 20 pages of text, and I asked ChatGPT, ‘Summarize the text, and tell me now, based on our discussion, how will the new era — the intelligent era — will look like,” he said.“Envisioning a future propelled by the technologies of the fourth industrial revolution we see a NEW DAWN of human civilization”  (Klaus Schwab, World Governments Summit, 2024)

Consider the unmitigated foolishness of consulting a computer instead of the Creator!

Yuval Harari, another elite spokesperson, believes that we are on the brink of humans being “hacked” (i.e. “controlled”) by artificial intelligence. He clearly  believes that we should allow this something we created to run our lives. Is this not idolatry of the worst kind, being led by AI instead of the Spirit of God?

God alone is capable and worthy to give us direction. The Bible makes it clear that we are to put our trust in him alone, not in some idol of our own making.

When billions of people decided to allow the government and “Big Medicine” and “Big Pharma” to “hack” their immune system via mRNA injections, they, perhaps unwittingly, decided to bow down to a man-made technology that is supposed to “improve” our immune system. This is another form of idolatry in which we put our trust and allegiance in man instead of the Creator, who gave us an immune system that he perfectly designed. But if we don’t believe in God, why not? Any believer who did this and realizes now that it was an error should ask for forgiveness and healing from any bad effects. God is merciful and the Healer. We all make mistakes because we are human and easily fooled at times, but if we repent God will mercifully restore what the enemy tried to steal and destroy.

Increasingly, those who trust in our Lord Jesus will be forced to choose between giving allegiance to man-made idols or remaining true to God.

Many will succumb to the siren song of AI and put their trust in its ability to arbitrate truth and run our lives. But AI has no spirit, except whatever evil spirit is behind it and its creators.

We are spirit beings who live in a body and have a soul, who are designed to be sustained and led by God alone.

I fear that AI will be used in an attempt to strip away the soul of humanity, our interface between spirit and body in which resides our mind, will, and emotions, what we call our personality. AI can create paintings better than I can paint, write incredible music, compose sermons, and write grammatically correct articles. But where will be the artistic and spiritual expression of mankind? Where will the Spirit of God be manifested in our creativity?

If AI is used to teach our kids, it will only spit out what has been programmed into it. If WOKE theology and sociology are programmed into it. that will be what it will declare to be the truth, and innocent gullible children will deceived by it. After all, AI is smarter than we are, right?

Wisdom comes from God. It cannot be programmed into a computer.

One of wisdom’s dimensions is discernment, the ability to distinguish between good and evil, good sense and folly, truth and lies, and God and the devil. Good discernment comes through exercising our God-given wisdom coupled with a knowledge of God, his ways, and his promises that can only come through the Bible via the Holy Spirit giving us understanding.

On Super Bowl Sunday, there were several ads stating that “Jesus gets us.” What it was really saying is that we have no right to judge anyone’s behavior or lifestyle because Jesus loves and approves of us all, no matter how we live. This kind of aberration from God’s wisdom and truth is what is being and will be fed to our children in schools and through the media. Satan is after the heart and soul of the younger generation, and AI will be used to propagate his lies. The ultimate goal is the destruction of a generation.

The Bible shows us that God loves people and gave them authority to rule over his creation.

God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” Genesis 1:27–28 (NASB95)

Sin stripped us of our relationship with God and put us under Satan’s thumb. Jesus told us that Satan only desires to kill, steal, and destroy humankind. He does this through incessant lying and fear mongering. It’s his way. As Jesus said, “There is no truth in him.” (John 8:44) We can see that our government and media not so subtly serve as Satan’s ambassadors, propagating lies and fear at every turn.

Yuval Harari, a global elite spokesperson, stated the following.

“I strongly believe that given the technologies we are now developing, within a century or two at most, our species will disappear. I don’t think that in the end of the 22nd century, the Earth will still be dominated by Homo sapiens.”

The devil is completely committed to contradicting God’s purpose and destroying us in order to hurt God somehow. He knows that he cannot directly harm the Creator of the universe; so, he is going after his beloved – us. As his children, we cannot afford to believe the lies of Satan. We should not give our allegiance to those who represent him. We must not bow down to the false god called AI. The only person who deserves our complete trust and allegiance is our Lord Jesus Christ.

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Why I Am No Longer a Roman Catholic: Part 12 – Conclusion

Here we are at the conclusion of this series. When I began, I intended to rewrite what I published years ago, but had taken down from the internet because the last thing I want to do is communicate rejection or condemnation to Catholic loved ones. However, of late more people I know have expressed interest in the Roman Catholic Church (RCC) or have joined the church. I find this to be puzzling in light of what I know about RCC doctrine and its antagonism to biblical Christianity. That is what motivated me to redo this series. The more I wrote, the more I realized needed to be addressed. The twelve articles in this series certainly do not cover everything, but they do address the core issues.

I began this series with my own testimony, describing how God went after me and revealed Christ to me in a way that transformed me from being a skeptic to a believer. This spiritual rebirth changed everything in my life. From that time on, the only thing I really wanted to do was serve the Lord. My wife Martha and I have been in some form of ministry for most of our adult lives.

When all this took place on the Duke University campus in 1971, I realized that it had absolutely nothing to do with the RCC. I heard the true gospel for the first time from my wife to be, decided it was worth a try, and invited Jesus, if he were real, to come into my life and reveal himself to me. When our Lord actually did this, it was the most amazing, joyful, and transformative thing that ever happened to me. The RCC never even told me that I could know God in this way or have any assurance at all of salvation.

Instead of preaching the gospel, the RCC puts itself forward as the means to be saved.

The second article illustrated that the RCC is a legalistic treadmill of false doctrine and rules that must be kept in order to work towards heaven without any real assurance of arriving one day.

The true grace of God provides eternal salvation as a gift purchased by our Lord Jesus when he died on the cross and rose again.

Paul warned us that anyone who preaches anything other than the true gospel will be accursed or under God’s judgment.

The third article addressed the RCC’s departure from adherence to the Bible as its source of truth in favor of church tradition and the “magisterium,” or official pronouncements of the Pope when he writes or speaks “ex cathedra,” or “from the chair” of papal authority. Isaiah wrote that unless we follow God’s truth in the Bible, we descend into darkness.

Any person or group who rejects the absolute authority of God’s written word will always veer into error, which is exactly what happened with the RCC.

My fourth article addressed the abominable heresy that Christ is re-sacrificed each time the Mass is performed. This doctrine is opposed to the Bible’s clear teaching that our Lord died “once for all.” This is a clear example of syncretism, the practice of blending two or more religions together, in this case the Old Covenant with the New, producing a hybrid that is not faithful to either. This supposed re-sacrifice of Christ is overseen by a new class of priests not authorized by God. The only person sufficient to conduct the sacrifice of God’s only Son was the Son himself, who is the apostle and high priest of the New Covenant (Hebrews 3:1).

The Mass denigrates Christ’s sacrifice and elevates the church to the sacrilegious position of overseeing Christ’s re-crucifixion.

The fifth article addressed the sinful exaltation and veneration that is given to Mary, Jesus’ mother. The Bible never encourages us to venerate anyone, something that can easily slide into adoration among ignorant people. The false doctrines associated with Mary positions her as “Mother of God” and “Queen of Heaven,” which are both non-biblical. In fact, queen of heaven is a title of several pagan goddesses. Shrines have been erected in her honor, and the church is encouraged to go to her in prayer, thinking that she is a mediator between them and Jesus, which is also false.

There is only one mediator, our Lord Jesus.

My sixth article addresses the RCC belief regarding the saints. Before a person is recognized as a saint, miracles must be proven to come from praying to these persons after they are dead. Nowhere in the Bible are we ever encouraged to pray to the dead. Neither are we supposed to turn to anyone else to mediate on our behalf with God.

The Bible teaches that all believers are saints, the word meaning set apart unto God.

The seventh article examines the RCC priesthood in light of the Scriptures.

The priesthood is another syncretistic blending of the Old and New Covenants.

God did away with the Old Covenant sacrificial system after our Lord offered himself as the Lamb of God at Calvary. Those Old Covenant sacrifices foreshadowed Christ’s once for all giving of himself on our behalf. Once the reality came, the shadow disappeared. All believers are now priests unto God, but we offer spiritual sacrifices that are enumerated in the Bible – ourselves, giving, hospitality, and praise. The new order of non-biblical priests in the RCC is heretical.

The eighth article is about the papacy, which is an outgrowth of the error behind the priesthood that there is a divide between common people (the laity) and a clerical order of priests, bishops, and the Pope. The Pope’s words are supposed to be infallible when he speaks officially or “ex cathedra.” Many ex cathedra pronouncements are heretical because the diverge from biblical truth. He is supposed to be Christ’s representative on earth, the Vicar of Christ, but the Bible teaches that we are all Christ’s ambassadors or representatives. The Bible clearly teaches that authority in the local church is vested in the presbytery or eldership. Usually one of the elders in a local assembly has a leadership gift and is part of the five-fold ministry mentioned in Ephesians 4:11 – apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, or teacher.

Nowhere in the Bible is any one man or woman given supreme authority over the entire church except for Christ himself.

This heresy arose after Constantine made Christianity the official religion of the empire, and the church began to fashion itself more like an earthly kingdom, complete with a king or Pope.

The ninth article shows how the non-biblical and false doctrine of Purgatory detracts from the finished work of Christ by claiming we must expiate our own sins by suffering prior to being pure enough to enter heaven.

The biblical doctrine of justification shows how God gives to us Christ’s perfect righteousness and relationship with God. He became sin so that we are now endowed with God’s own righteousness. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

The tenth article addresses the error behind indulgences which are supposed to remove the need to suffer in Purgatory either in part or completely. The Pope is supposed to control what is called the treasury of merit by which he can commute suffering in Purgatory. At the time of the Reformation, indulgences were being sold to ignorant people who believed their offering could free a loved one from suffering. This was one of the errors addressed by Martin Luther. Christ’s once for all sacrifice provided complete forgiveness, justification, and reconciliation to God. Nothing more can be added to it.

The only treasury of merit comes from Christ’s shed blood, which is freely bestowed on those who believe.

The eleventh article examines the RCC teaching on water baptism which conflates justification with water baptism, which is our public proclamation of allegiance to Christ. Only the blood of Christ can purify a soul and wash away our sins, not H20.

In this article I outlined the three baptisms listed in the New Testament: baptism into the body of Christ by the Holy Spirit which takes place at the new birth, baptism in water when we publicly identify with Christ, and the baptism in the Holy Spirit which equips and empowers us to be witnesses for Christ.

I show that water baptism should follow conversion, not be done prior as with infant baptism. Infant baptism is a syncretistic blending of Old Covenant circumcision with New Covenant believer’s baptism, resulting in error.

The last article examines the RCC’s non-biblical elevation of the Lord’s Supper into something that closely resembles, or perhaps is, idolatry.

Their doctrine of transubstantiation claims that the bread and wine become the actual body and blood of Christ. People are supposed to regard a piece of bread as if it were God himself, a very strange misconstruing of Jesus’ using the metaphor of bread and wine to illustrate partaking of him and the benefits of his sacrificial death by faith. It is sad that in the one instance in which the RCC chooses to take Jesus’ words literally, they should be understood metaphorically.

As can be readily seen, the RCC has not slightly veered off course. It actually teaches a different gospel, which in reality is not good news at all and brings upon it God’s judgment.

I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; 7 which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! Galatians 1:6–8 (NASB95) —

Those who read their Bibles will understand how the RCC is incompatible with the pursuit of truth.

Even though there are genuine followers of Christ in the RCC, their presence is not grounds for overlooking the church’s egregious departure from truth or make it alright to be a Catholic. Instead it is somewhat of an enigma how Bible believing disciples can remain in a church that teaches and practices so much error. I do not believe it is a good idea to remain in it in an attempt to reform it from within. It did not work for Martin Luther, and it will not work for us. My conclusion is that we should pray that God will turn more and more Catholics to the truth, but those Catholics who know the truth already should seriously consider if God wants them to be part of something that is under his judgment for preaching another gospel.

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Why I Am No Longer a Roman Catholic: Part 11 – The Sacraments, Part B – The Holy Eucharist

In Roman Catholic theology, the Eucharist is the Real Presence of God, Jesus Christ, body and blood, under the appearance of bread and wine. 1

This sacrament is known also as Holy Communion, the Lord’s Supper, and the Blessed Sacrament. How did the Lord’s Supper, which began as a memorial meal signifying Christ’s sacrificial death for our sins, become what it is today in Roman Catholic Church (RCC) theology?

Christ inaugurated this memorial at the Last Supper, which was a Passover Seder meal, with these recorded words.

And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 20 And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood. Luke 22:19–20 (NASB95) —

The Old Covenant Passover meal commemorated God’s deliverance of Israel from slavery in Egypt. God instructed each Israelite family to kill a lamb and spread its blood on the doorposts and lintels of their homes. Every home that had this marking was spared a visit by the death angel, which put to death the firstborn sons in those homes not so marked. The early church understood Christ’s sacrificial death to be the fulfillment of this Old Covenant foreshadowing.

The early church obeyed the Lord by regularly commemorating his death at their gatherings at communal meals as recorded in Acts.

Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, Acts 2:46 (NASB95) —

As with any group of humans, problems eventually arose concerning how the Lord’s Supper was practiced, which Paul addressed in his first letter to the church in Corinth in the eleventh chapter. People in the church were so hungry that they began their meal before others, resulting in abuses that betrayed the meaning of the meal.

Therefore when you meet together, it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper, 21 for in your eating each one takes his own supper first; and one is hungry and another is drunk. 22 What! Do you not have houses in which to eat and drink? Or do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? In this I will not praise you. 1 Corinthians 11:20–22 (NASB95) —

He ordered them to eat at home, if they were so hungry they could not wait for others, so that proper order could be maintained when the fellowship meal was served.

Fellowship meals continued in association with the post-apostolic Eucharist, as is shown in the Didachē (a Christian document concerned with worship and church discipline written c. 100–c. 140), and in the doctrinal and liturgical development described in the writings of the early Church Fathers little was changed. During the late 2nd century the meal became vestigial and was finally abandoned. The Eucharist was originally celebrated every Sunday, but by the 4th century it was celebrated daily…

Not until the beginning of the Middle Ages did controversial issues arise that found expression in the definition of the doctrine of transubstantiation at the Fourth Lateran Council in 1215. This definition opened the way for the Scholastic interpretation of the eucharistic presence of Christ and of the sacramental principle, in Aristotelian terms. Thus, St. Thomas Aquinas maintained that a complete change occurred in the “substance” of each of the species, while the “accidents,” or outward appearances, remained the same. During the Reformation, though the medieval doctrine was denied in varying ways by the reformers, it was reaffirmed in the RCC by the Council of Trent in 1551.  2

The doctrine of transubstantiation maintains that the bread and wine actually become the body and blood of Jesus in a literal sense. In other words, the bread and wine become God himself. This takes place on the altar during the Mass when Jesus is supposedly re-sacrificed by the priest each time the Mass is performed. (I wrote about this heresy in an earlier article.) When communicants receive the wine and bread, usually just the bread, since the wine is reserved most often for the priest, they supposedly actually consume God. Any bread left over is called the Host and is treated as God himself. After the Mass, the Host is placed in a tabernacle on the altar until the next Mass. When Roman Catholics walk in front of this tabernacle, they are expected to take a knee, or genuflect, and make the sign of the cross in reverence to God’s supposed actual physical presence on the altar. A vessel called a monstrance, pictured on the right, is used to hold the host and to facilitate adoration.

The RCC developed this doctrine of the Eucharist and transubstantiation by turning to its three pillars: the Bible, church tradition, and the authority of the infallible “magisterium” of the church, that is the ex cathedra proclamations of the Pope, which as we have already seen, are subject to change. By adding to God’s Word in the form of church tradition and pronouncements from the magisterium, the RCC violates the biblical principle that forbids adding to God’s Word. (Deuteronomy 4:2, Proverbs 30:6)

Let’s consider the RCC doctrine of the Eucharist from a biblical perspective, which is the only valid source of good doctrine.

Look to God’s instructions and teachings! People who contradict his word are completely in the dark. Isaiah 8:20 (NLT) —

Jesus told his followers who witnessed his feeding of the 5000 that they should not prioritize eating natural bread.

“Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you, for on Him the Father, God, has set His seal.” 28 Therefore they said to Him, “What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.” John 6:27–29 (NASB95) —

Jesus taught them to seek first the kingdom of God, which centered on believing in him as the Messiah and Lord. The kingdom of God arrived on earth with the coming of the King. Later in this passage…

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst. John 6:35 (NASB95) —

This verse lays down a very simple principle: we partake of Christ as the bread of life by believing in him. This became quite clear when Jesus told his disciples that he would send his Holy Spirit to live in them.

I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; 17 that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. John 14:16–17 (NASB95) —

This is the meaning of the parable of the vine and the branches in John 15. This reality of the indwelling Holy Spirit also makes quite clear other teachings of Jesus in which he said we would be one with him and the Father.

I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; 21 that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. John 17:20–21 (NASB95) —

Later the apostle Paul wrote that when we are born again through faith in Christ our spirits become one with the Holy Spirit.

But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him. 1 Corinthians 6:17 (NASB95) —

Instead of inhabiting the Ark of the Covenant and later the Temple, God now inhabits a temple made of what Peter called “living stones,” that is, human beings in whom his Spirit dwells.

And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God. 1 Peter 2:5 (NLT) —

Paul wrote much the same thing in his letter to the church in Ephesus.

Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us. 19 So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family. 20 Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. 21 We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. 22 Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit. Ephesians 2:18–22 (NLT) —

It is clear that the Old Covenant foreshadowed God’s taking up residence in human beings by using the pictures or types of the Ark and the Temple. With the coming of the New Covenant, the shadow was replaced by reality.

It is inconceivable that God would reintroduce the idea that he dwells in a physical tabernacle.

The Old Covenant temple was destroyed in 70 AD never to be restored because the old sacrificial system has been fulfilled in Christ once and for all. By claiming that God physically dwells in a tabernacle on an altar today, the RCC practices a syncretism of the Old and New Covenants, something it does regularly.

Jesus once told a large crowd of followers that it was necessary for them to eat his body and drink his blood. This supposed command to cannibalize him deeply offended many of his followers who took him literally.

“He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55 “For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. 56 “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. 57 “As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, he also will live because of Me. 58 “This is the bread which came down out of heaven; not as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live forever.” 59 These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum. 60 Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this said, “This is a difficult statement; who can listen to it?” John 6:54–60 (NASB95) —

Jesus understood that his words stumbled many, but he did not walk them back. However, he did give us a hint as to their true meaning.

But Jesus, conscious that His disciples grumbled at this, said to them, “Does this cause you to stumble? 62 “What then if you see the Son of Man ascending to where He was before? 63 “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. 64 “But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who it was that would betray Him. 65 And He was saying, “For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father.” John 6:61–65 (NASB95) —

Jesus often spoke spiritual mysteries which can only be spiritually discerned. He used physical metaphors to shed light on spiritual realities – the sower and the seed, the pearl of great price, and yeast in a lump of dough. In the case in John Chapter Six, people had just eaten bread; so Jesus used the metaphor of bread. With the woman at the well, he used the metaphor of living water. Later in John Chapter Seven (John 7:39), our Lord explained that this well of water referred to the Holy Spirit, but he did not give the woman any such details in John Chapter Four.

Jesus answered and said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.” 15 The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, so I will not be thirsty nor come all the way here to draw.” John 4:13–15 (NASB95) —

Nevertheless, somehow she knew that he was referring to himself. God’s Spirit opened her eyes and enabled her to believe in him. Those who are spiritually blind and deaf cannot see or hear. It is interesting and informative, that the RCC did not make drinking water a sacrament. Even they realized that our Lord was speaking metaphorically. It is regrettable that they did not make the same judgment when it came to the Lord’s Supper.

Jesus spoke of spiritual mysteries in veiled terms so that only those to whom the Holy Spirit reveals truth will understand.

His disciples began questioning Him as to what this parable meant. 10 And He said, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is in parables, so that SEEING THEY MAY NOT SEE, AND HEARING THEY MAY NOT UNDERSTAND. Luke 8:9–10 (NASB95) —

Therefore, it does not depend on how educated or intelligent we are. It all depends on God’s Spirit.

At that time Jesus said, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. 26 “Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight. 27 “All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. Matthew 11:25–27 (NASB95) —

He did this so that only those who are enlightened by the Spirit and come to him and be saved by faith.

“But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who it was that would betray Him. 65 And He was saying, “For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father.” John 6:64–65 (NASB95) —

Sometimes even his own disciples did not understand. It was only after his resurrection that much of what Jesus taught them became clear. When Jesus said the “flesh profits nothing,” he meant that the physical bread was not the focus. He spoke metaphorically about receiving him by faith. He said that the problem with those who chose to leave was a lack of faith.

Faith is the key to everything in God’s kingdom. Without it we cannot please God. (Hebrews 11:6) Without faith we will never grasp who Jesus really is, the bread of life. Without faith we cannot receive him and partake of his life.

Human beings seem to have an innate propensity to create and worship idols, physical objects that represent spiritual realities. Even though it may be understood initially that these objects represent a spiritual reality, over time the physical objects are worshiped as being gods in themselves. This is why God forbade his people from making any sort of image of him, the one true God. (Exodus 20:4) The Israelites made golden calves to worship after they left Egypt. Moses had gone to Mt. Sinai to be with God and had not yet returned. It was difficult for the people to trust in an invisible God without Moses’ leadership. Later during Israel’s desert wandering, because of the people’s grumbling and complaining against Moses and God, the Lord sent venomous snakes into their midst (Numbers 21:6), which killed many. In order to save them, God instructed Moses to make a brass image of a snake on a pole. When the people looked at it, the snake venom would not harm them. This was a foreshadowing of Jesus, who became sin for us, hanging on a cross. Those who look to him in faith will be saved from the venom of the serpent, Satan, and sin. This picture of a spiritual reality later became a curse because the people began to treat it as an idol, as if it had some power in itself. King Hezekiah destroyed it as part of his spiritual reformation of the nation. (2 Kings 18:4)

Over time in the Roman Catholic Church, the Lord’s Supper, which began as a memorial to Christ’s sacrificial death to inspire us to trust in him and what he did, later became a transubstantiated Eucharist, an idol which is worshiped as being God himself.

Anytime we are encouraged to turn to anything or anyone besides Christ, it is a distraction at best and an idol at worst. This has happened over and over again in the RCC. As pointed out in an earlier article, veneration of Mary, who is a wonderful example of faith and surrender to God’s will, has been elevated to almost worship. In fact, the people of Mexico, Portugal, and France pay such homage to Mary at the shrines located there, that it seems to have morphed into pagan idolatry. Roman Catholic church buildings are usually filled with statues of Jesus, Mary, and the saints. Catholics adorn their walls, necks, and rosaries with crucifixes – images of Christ hanging still upon the cross. Relics, pieces of the bones of saints or other holy objects, are often venerated and believed to have power in themselves. All of this can easily become a form of idolatry in which physical objects are seen to have power in themselves that belongs to God alone. Roman Catholics officially protest that this is not so, but the line is very thin between veneration and adoration. Nowhere in the Bible are we told to venerate anyone or anything besides the Lord.

The Lord’s Supper is supposed to inspire us to remember what Jesus accomplished on our behalf by his death, burial, and resurrection. It is sad that the RCC converted this into something so different.

Roman Catholics believe that consuming the Eucharist, which they believe is actually physically God, imparts God’s life to them. Only God’s Spirit can do that, whom every believer has received by putting faith and allegiance in Christ.

The biblical practice is to obey Christ by using the Lord’s Supper as a memorial meal to inspire us to worship him who laid down his life for us as the Good Shepherd.

1 https://www.catholic.com/encyclopedia/eucharist

2 https://www.britannica.com/topic/Eucharist

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Why I Am No Longer a Roman Catholic: Part 11 – The Sacraments, Part A – Baptism

According to Roman Catholic theology, sacraments are outward signs of inward grace, instituted by Christ for our sanctification (Catechismus concil. Trident., II, n. 4, ex S. August “De catechizandis rudibus”).

According to the teaching of the Catholic Church,… the sacraments of the Christian dispensation are not mere signs; they do not merely signify Divine grace, but in virtue of their Divine institution, they cause that grace in the souls of men…The Council of Trent solemnly defined that there are seven sacraments of the New Law, truly and properly so called, viz., baptism, confirmation, Holy Eucharist, penance, extreme unction, orders, and matrimony. 1

Most of the sacraments can only be administered by ordained Roman Catholic Church (RCC) priests or bishops. There is still controversy in the RCC about how sacraments confer grace, but it is accepted that they do. I will examine two of the sacraments, baptism and Holy Communion or the Eucharist. This article will focus on baptism. The next one will address the Eucharist.

Water baptism is the gateway into membership in the RCC. The church practices infant baptism to remove the stain of original sin. It was believed that infants who die without being water baptized could not go to heaven but went to a kind of halfway station called limbo, but that doctrine has been officially abandoned as of 1992, when the term was removed from the catechism. This instability regarding doctrine will always happen when the Bible is not our basis for truth.

According to RCC doctrine, water baptism accomplishes five things.

  1. It forgives all sins that may have been committed prior to a person’s baptism including original sin, mortal sins, and venial sins, and it relieves the punishment for those sins.
  2. It makes the newly baptized person “a new creature.”
  3. It turns the person into a newly adopted son of God and a member of Christ. Baptism incorporates a person into the Church, which is the body of Christ.
  4. It brings someone into the flock of the faithful and brings them to share in the royal priesthood of Christ (1 Pet. 2:9-10). Catholic baptism gives a share in the common priesthood of all believers and it also brings about the sacramental bond of the unity of Christians. Paragraph 1271 of the Catechism says it best:
    Baptism constitutes the foundation of communion among all Christians, including those who are not yet in full communion with the Catholic Church: “For men who believe in Christ and have been properly baptized are put in some, though imperfect, communion with the Catholic Church. Justified by faith in Baptism, [they] are incorporated into Christ; they, therefore, have a right to be called Christians, and with good reason are accepted as brothers by the children of the Catholic Church. Baptism, therefore, constitutes the sacramental bond of unity existing among all who through it are reborn.”
  5. Last, but certainly not least, baptism leaves an indelible spiritual mark (character) of belonging to Christ on the soul. Nothing you can do will take away this mark even if you sin a million times. Those sins may prevent you from being open to the salvation God offers through baptism, but you will always carry the mark of a Christian on your soul, therefore making re-baptism impossible. 2

Let’s examine these points from a biblical perspective. I will show how Roman Catholic theology conflates the three baptisms found in the Bible into water baptism, which is largely what causes the confusion.

There is only one remedy for sin – the blood of our Lord Jesus.

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace Ephesians 1:7 (NASB95) —

His one sacrifice forgave all sins for all time for those who put their faith and allegiance in Christ.

With his own blood—not the blood of goats and calves—he entered the Most Holy Place once for all time and secured our redemption forever. Hebrews 9:12 (NLT) —

To say that water baptism removes sin gives water more power than Christ’s blood.

A way to clear up this confusion is to understand that the Bible teaches that there are three baptisms: into the body of Christ, into water, and into the Holy Spirit. I cover these in more detail in other articles. You can click on the previous links connected with each type above to read more. Here I will give a short summary.

Baptism into the Body of Christ

The baptism into the body of Christ takes place at the new birth.

The Holy Spirit performs this baptism and plunges us into Christ, whereby we become one with him and other believers in what is called the Body of Christ or the church.

For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12:13 (NASB95) —

This baptism is what saves us. Our sins are forgiven. We are made right with God and given eternal life via the indwelling Holy Spirit. It is an invisible baptism done by the Spirit. The medium is Christ, and the evidence is a changed life. This baptism makes us “new creatures” in Christ.

When a person becomes a Christian, or is born again and baptized into the Body of Christ, God seals us with his Holy Spirit.

In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory. Ephesians 1:13–14 (NASB95) —

This seal is a permanent mark identifying us as belonging to Christ. Water baptism does not do this, but the new birth does. We are sealed because Christ purchased us with his own blood.

Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. Acts 20:28 (NASB95) —

For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body. 1 Corinthians 6:20 (NASB95) —

The idea that we are permanently marked by water baptism but do not permanently belong to God is a strange doctrine.

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NASB95) —

In conclusion, the baptism into the body of Christ is a spiritual baptism performed by the Holy Spirit at the time of the new birth and is what makes us a child of God.

Baptism into Water

Baptism into water is our declaration of faith and allegiance in Christ before witnesses.

It is meant to take place after we confess Jesus as Lord, which is why it is called believer’s baptism. There is absolutely no evidence in the New Testament that supports infant baptism, which is a syncretistic rite extrapolated from Old Covenant circumcision. Water baptism is a public and formal confessing of Christ as Lord, much as public wedding vows consecrate a marriage. Couples may privately pledge mutual fidelity to each other, but public vows are much better because they are before witnesses who will hold us accountable.

Water baptism “saves” us in the sense that it is an act of obedience to our Lord whereby we confess him publicly before witnesses. This salvation is part of our sanctification, about which I have written elsewhere. The confession of Christ as Lord is what eternally saves us, not the water baptism that is meant to immediately follow. If water baptism actually saved us in the eternal sense, the apostle Paul would certainly have majored on it. However, Paul did not focus on water baptism, but on the preaching of the gospel message.

For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made void. 1 Corinthians 1:17 (NASB95) —

Water baptism is an important act of obedience, but not the source of forgiveness or eternal life.

It is performed by another believer in water. The evidence, quite naturally, is getting wet, since the meaning of the word from the Greek root word, bapto, is to be submerged. In biblical Christianity, water baptism is regarded as an ordinance, something Christ commanded, rather than a sacrament.

Baptism in the Holy Spirit

The baptism in the Holy Spirit is performed by Christ himself upon any child of God into the Holy Spirit. Its purpose is to equip and empower us to be his witnesses. The evidence of receiving this baptism is speaking in tongues and prophecy.

John answered and said to them all, “As for me, I baptize you with water; but One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to untie the thong of His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. Luke 3:16 (NASB95) —

Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, “Which,” He said, “you heard of from Me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” Acts 1:4–5 (NASB95) —

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8 (NLT) —

All the circumcised believers who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. 46 For they were hearing them speaking with tongues and exalting God. Then Peter answered, 47 “Surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?” Acts 10:45–47 (NASB95) —

When one comes to an understanding of the three baptisms, it clears up much of the confusion associated with trying to make water baptism actually save us in the eternal sense.

The RCC doctrine that water baptism clears away all sin led some to delay receiving it until just before death in order to enter heaven with a “clean slate.” This doctrine flies in the face of the Bible’s teaching that Christ’s one sacrifice provided forgiveness once and for all. Justification declares that we are not guilty before God, having received Christ’s very own righteousness as a free gift.

By attempting to make water baptism more than it really is, it shifts the focus from faith in Christ to the act of receiving the sacrament.

It also makes people dependent upon the church for salvation instead of upon our Lord directly. This is a recurrent problem with RCC theology, which tends to keep people permanently in bondage to extra- or non-biblical doctrines of men (or demons – 1 Timothy 4:1). The Lord came to set people free.

The Spirit of the LORD is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, Luke 4:18 (NLT) —

 

1 https://www.catholic.com/encyclopedia/sacraments

2 https://www.aboutcatholics.com/beliefs/a-guide-to-catholic-baptism/

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Why I Am No Longer a Roman Catholic: Part 10 – Indulgences

Once the doctrine of Purgatory was in place, it was only logical for the concept of indulgences to arise. These two errors reveal clearly the Roman Catholic preoccupation with our having to earn salvation through good works rather than receiving it as a free gift based on what Christ accomplished on our behalf.

The granting of indulgences to supposedly partially or fully remit our remaining debt to God in Purgatory is more closely aligned with Islam that Christianity.

The granting of indulgences was predicated on two beliefs. First, in the sacrament of penance it did not suffice to have the guilt (culpa) of sin forgiven through absolution alone; one also needed to undergo temporal punishment (poena, from p[o]enitentia, “penance”) because one had offended Almighty God. Second, indulgences rested on belief in purgatory, a place in the next life where one could continue to cancel the accumulated debt of one’s sins, another Western medieval conception not shared by Eastern Orthodoxy or other Eastern Christian churches not recognizing the primacy of the pope. 1

Over time the early church strayed from the simple forgiveness offered in the gospel to more legalistic forms of public penance required by bishops for serious sins.

Some sins apparently resulted in permanent excommunication. Nowhere in the teachings of Jesus or the apostles in the New Testament can we find anything like that. Eventually RCC doctrine developed to the point that Christ’s death and resurrection needed something more to be added to it. We know from Scripture that this is not so.

I know that everything God does will remain forever; there is nothing to add to it and there is nothing to take from it, for God has so worked that men should fear Him. Ecclesiastes 3:14 (NASB95) —

Believing that Christ’s work was imperfect is a grave error that detracts from his glory. What Jesus accomplished on the cross was perfect, complete, and good for all time.

but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, 13 waiting from that time onward UNTIL HIS ENEMIES BE MADE A FOOTSTOOL FOR HIS FEET. 14 For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. Hebrews 10:12–14 (NASB95) —

…Scholastic theologians of the 12th and 13th centuries worked out a fully articulated theory of penance. It consisted of three parts: contrition, confession, and satisfaction. The debt of forgiven sin could be reduced through the performance of good works in this life (pilgrimages, charitable acts, and the like) or through suffering in purgatory. Indulgences could be granted only by popes or, to a lesser extent, archbishops and bishops as ways of helping ordinary people measure and amortize their remaining debt. “Plenary,” or full, indulgences cancelled all the existing obligation, while “partial” indulgences remitted only a portion of it. People naturally wanted to know how much debt was forgiven (just as modern students want to know exactly what they need to study for examinations), so set periods of days, months, and years came gradually to be attached to different kinds of partial indulgences.

One did not, however, have to do it all by oneself. Medieval Christianity was a vast community of mutual help through prayer and good works, uniting the living and the dead in the Church Militant on earth, the Church Suffering in purgatory, and the Church Triumphant in heaven. The good works of Jesus Christ, the saints, and others could be drawn upon to liberate souls from purgatory. In 1343 Pope Clement VI decreed that all these good works were in the Treasury of Merit, over which the pope had control.

This highly complicated theological system, which was framed as a means to help people achieve their eternal salvation, easily lent itself to misunderstanding and abuse as early as the 13th century, much sooner than is usually thought. A principal contributing factor was money. Paralleling the rise of indulgences, the Crusades, and the reforming papacy was the economic resurgence of Europe that began in the 11th century. Part of this tremendous upsurge was the phenomenon of commutation, through which any services, obligations, or goods could be converted into a corresponding monetary payment. Those eager to gain plenary indulgences, but unable to go on pilgrimage to Jerusalem, wondered whether they might perform an alternative good work or make an equivalent offering to a charitable enterprise—for example, the building of a leprosarium or a cathedral. Churchmen allowed such commutation, and the popes even encouraged it, especially Innocent III (reigned 1198–1216) in his various Crusading projects. From the 12th century onward the process of salvation was therefore increasingly bound up with money. Reformers of the 14th and 15th centuries frequently complained about the “sale” of indulgences by pardoners.

People also wondered whether they could gain an indulgence for someone who had died and was presumed to be in purgatory. If so, in acting out of charity for someone else, were they then obliged to confess their own sins, as they would if they sought to obtain an indulgence for themselves? Although these concerns were surfacing as early as the 13th century, it was only in 1476 that Pope Sixtus IV declared that one could indeed gain an indulgence for someone in purgatory. 2

This brings us to the time of the reformer Martin Luther, who posted his “95 Theses” or points of debate on the church door in Wittenburg, Germany on October 31, 1517. At that time, a Dominican friar named Johann Tetzel sold indulgences to raise money for the pope by claiming: “When a penny in the coffer rings, / A soul from Purgatory springs.” Luther challenged the entire system of indulgences by simply asking why the pope, if he had control over the treasury of merit, did not simply release everyone from Purgatory out of love, instead of requiring monetary payment.

As should be apparent, the RCC’s theology of penance is contrary to the New Covenant which teaches unequivocally that Christ’s sacrifice perfectly atoned from our sins.

The concept that Christ only removed guilt but did not perfectly cleanse us from unrighteousness is also wrong. John wrote that the opposite is true.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 (NASB95) —

Paul made it clear that no “work” can be added to what Christ did for us without our forfeiting grace altogether. Anything we try to “do” to gain merit with God is a work of the law.

It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. 2 Behold I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you. 3 And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law. 4 You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. Galatians 5:1–4 (NASB95) —

One can justifiably insert indulgence or penance in the place of circumcision in the above passage. Anything we insist is necessary over and above faith in Christ is a work of the law.

RCC doctrine essentially teaches that Christ did not actually save us. He simply made it possible for us to save ourselves via good works. This is not the gospel. It is a man-made religion that stands in opposition to the New Covenant.

1 https://www.britannica.com/topic/indulgence

2 Ibid.

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